The Food Allergy Epidemic
The world, once again, is having a food problem. Food allergy prevalence is increasing worldwide, reaching an epidemic level in some parts of the globe. In America alone, approximately 10% of the population suffers from an allergy to cow’s milk, tree nuts, peanuts, or eggs. These allergies or hypersensitivities to food result from an overstimulation of the immune system to proteins that are typically harmless in the foods that are eaten.
What if I told you that there is a potential link between food hypersensitivity and behavioral disorders? Researchers have suspected that this has been a reality for decades. In a 1949 case report, a description of behavioral and mood disturbances in those who ate certain foods like milk and eggs. The symptoms of these patients improved after removing the suspected foods from their diet. Many recent studies continue to demonstrate that food sensitivities affect mood.
There have been results that support the association between food allergies and neuropsychiatric disorders like severe depression, autism, anxiety, and attention-deficit disorder. In this newsletter, we will discuss the specifics of these food sensitivities and their impact on the behaviors of those who consume these allergic foods.
- Food Allergies and child development
Children who become agitated easily, who are aggressive, are hyperactive, struggle with regulating themselves, are distracted, or express difficulties in learning may have developmental or behavioral health conditions. Research has demonstrated that there is a correlation between allergies and the developmental, behavioral, and emotional health of children. Food allergies can easily cause the above symptoms in children. If these symptoms occur only during certain seasons during the year, like fall or spring, seasonal allergies may be the culprit of the child’s odd behavior.
One study demonstrated how food hypersensitivities affect one’s mood by recording the behavior of a child when coming in contact with a food allergen. When the child did not have any contact or consumption of foods he was allergic to, he was expressing behaviors of happiness and exploration. However, upon coming in contact with a food allergen, the child expressed behavior of aggression and rebellion. This shows how the gut responds to food allergies and its impact on the development of children. The best step to take is to remove the food allergen from the child’s diet and discuss allergy testing with a nutritionist.
- Food allergies and brain health
When eating a meal, about 30% of the energy from that meal is used by the brain. Therefore, it doesn’t shock anyone that eating foods that cause an allergic reaction impacts the mental well-being of those who consume them. For more than 50 years, researchers have defined allergic-tension syndrome.
In short, when an individual eats food that they are allergic to, more stress is put on their body. This causes feelings of fatigue which leads to problems with concentration, more feelings of depression and more issues with one’s temper. It is no shock that the mood of those who stop eating food allergens improves after eliminating them. The body has less inflammation, resulting in less stress on the brain, resulting in less mental health challenges.
- Food Allergies and Mental Health Challenges
It is a known fact that food allergies cause the development of inflammation. Now, researchers are starting to understand the link between consuming food allergens and the increased levels of cortisol in the brain. An increase in cortisol levels results in the potential development of depression.
Research studies have shown the link between food allergies to many mental health challenges. A peer reviewed article from Biological Psychiatry discovered that food allergies caused severe depression, nervousness, anger and motivation loss. Another study that was conducted by John Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health demonstrated that there was a connection between an intolerance to gluten and schizophrenia. There is also numerous data from studies that report a relationship between food allergies and autism.
- Food Allergies and Autism
In more recent years, various studies done by those in alternative medicine suggested that food allergies have correlation to causing or even worsening autism in children. The proteins specifically studied were gluten (found in wheat) and casein (found in milk). These proteins were the culprits of worsening symptoms of autism in children. These foods were felt to be broken down into peptides that function like narcotics. These peptides would worsen the behavioral changes in autistic children.
Recent studies suggest that the reason for autistic children responding to foods that contain gluten and casein is due to the production of cytokines. Cytokines are chemicals that are produced by white blood cells that result from the increase of inflammation in the body. It is suggested that these cytokines may be responsible for the abnormalities in the neurological systems of autistic children. In recent studies, it was found that the cytokines from autistic children were much higher than non-autistic children after exposure to casein and gluten. This shows that the body of an autistic child has much more inflammation when consuming these proteins, resulting in the increase in neurological problems in the child.
- Benefits of allergy testing
With the evidence that suggests the correlation between food allergies and behavioral patterns, it is important to determine what your body is allergic to. Allergy testing helps find a precise treatment to the reactions the body has to allergens. This testing will find the exact allergens that trigger inflammation in the body. Taking action by testing what allergens may be affecting your body will also help create a manageable diet and prevent severe reactions in the body.
Blood testing is an easy way to determine what your body has an allergic reaction to. An allergy blood test checks the blood for increased immunoglobulin E antibodies which are high when someone has an allergy to foods or other irritating substances. At Cornerstone Health Center, we use a blood test to help formulate a diet plan that will decrease inflammation and promote healing within the gut. This allows your body to heal itself and you to function at the level God intended you to!